Cry of a Valkyrie
by gruesome-daath
Summary: Defying the Gods themselves, Cassandra took up her sister's sword and swore to destroy the loathsome blade: Soul Edge. How can one so innocent tread upon a path where so many has fallen? The Gods must be with her.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: Soul Calibur 2 is the intellectual property of NAMCO, all rights reserved. Distribution of concepts, artwork and any other form of multimedia, without the permission of the appropriate bodies, is strictly forbidden. I, gruesomedaath, am not the creator of Soul Calibur 2. No such permission has been acquired from NAMCO, and as such, am liable for copyright infringements. This fan fiction will be removed upon request of appropriate bodies.

I hate disclaimers, so I copied the one I made up in TFT.

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Cry of a Valkyrie

Chapter 1: On a Wing and a Prayer/ The Journey Begins

            I would've hated to see Sophitia see me this way, staggering across the pier like some drunk, but I couldn't help it. Four days on the high seas began to take it toll on the boardwalk as I fell to my knees, vomiting the eggs and pickles I ate for the last four days straight. As I got up, I cursed Poseidon for the huge swells I had endured, making me seasick even on land. This made getting up even harder, not that it was already gruelling with the weight of both shield and sword bearing on my back. I wondered how she wielded them so gracefully when I struggled to even carry them. The gods must truly be with her. Again I cursed the gods.

            Ahead, I can see a few vendors, smelling the sweet scent of newly baked bread wafting through the salty air. My stomach grumbled hungrily. I needed to eat. I noticed a few fishermen pass me by, discussing something in a language I didn't understand. Come to think of it, I didn't understand anything. The signs posted all over the harbour, the chatter of old seadogs, nothing. Egypt was nothing like Athens. I halted in front of a food stall, hungrily eyeing the fresh loaves on display, but how do I say what I want? I've handled foreigners at the bakery back at home; they would always use their fingers. With nothing to lose, I followed their example. 

            Pointing to the loaves, I held up four fingers in my other hand. 'Can I have four of these, please?' I added in. The merchant probably understood, if not my words, then my actions. He moved towards the items and retrieved four loaves and rested them on the counter. He said something in a foreign language I didn't understand, most probably the cost of the bread. I shrugged. 'I'm sorry, I don't understand?'

            'He said four silver pieces,' a voice answered behind me. I turned around to thank the man when I noticed him holding a dagger pointed directly at my heart. I froze with fear. 'Give me all your money or I'll kill you.' I didn't move. Three years of training in the Athenian academy was useless with a frozen mind. 'Hurry up! I don't have all day!' Obeying through fear, I reached for my pouch, but as I offered it to him, he didn't accept it. He fell to his knees with a glazed look in his eyes before falling face down in the dirt. A trail of blood ran down his back.

            'Rather distasteful stabbing someone in the back is,' the man standing behind him said as he sheathed his sword. The long blade gleamed in the morning light before it disappeared in his casing. He casually stepped over the cadaver and extended a hand to me. 'It's quite rude to threaten ladies,' he commented as I clenched his hand, 'and what an enchanting lady, might I add.'

            Sitting by the counter on the tavern, I spent the next few hours talking to the gentleman who saved me earlier that morning. It was a relief to talk to someone so charming as him, all in my language. 'It's nice to talk to a countryman,' I shot over a cup of steaming coffee. 'Especially someone who isn't trying to rob me for my money.'

            He lowered his cup and beamed me a smile. 'Well actually, I'm not Greek,' he told me. 'I'm from France, but don't tell anyone.'

            I laughed somewhat in disbelief. 'Really? But you speak so fluently…'

            'You can blame my father for that,' he joked, but I couldn't help but feel dark undertones in his voice. 'said that Greek was an ancient language. I concluded that he was ancient, and wanted me to be one too. Had I known back then that I would be meeting one of the most charming girl I've ever seen, I would have spent more time doing homework.'

            I could feel my face flushing flush. 'Well what brings you to this part of the world? Saving me wasn't part of it, was it?'

            'No, just a perk a guess as I begin my quest.'

            'Quest?' I asked with an inquiring eyebrow. 

'I am on a quest for the legendary sword called Soul Edge. Have you heard of it?'

            I immediately began to cough uncontrollably. Did he just say Soul Edge? The same soul Edge that has plagued my family for years? How could he possibly know about it? Shaking my head as I snapped back to reality, I turned to him with a vacant glance. 'Well I've heard of it,' I admitted, 'but thought they were nothing but stories made to scare naughty children.'

            He almost fell off his chair laughing. 'Dear god that is precious,' he said. Slowly his amusement subsided as he turn to me. 'No my dear, Soul Edge is as real as you and me- … er, forgive me, my lady. I seem to have lost myself. Enough about me, tell me more about yourself. What are you doing in Alexandria?'

            My heart immediately fell in my chest. How was I supposed to answer that? I looked to his sheath and imagined his sword running through me as soon as I tell him I'm supposed to destroy Soul Edge. But what do I tell him? A lie. '… I'm… a… an antique dealer… here on my sister's behalf.' That's probably as close to a truth as I can get.

            'Really?' he asked with a sincere sense of curiosity. He pushed himself off his chair and moved behind me. I heard a metallic slither as he drew my sword from behind me. 'Is this for exchange?'

            'No,' I bit bitterly.

            He scoffed behind me as he inspected the blade. 'Then this must be an acquisition, and a rather fine one at that.' He slid his finger along the grooves studying the engraving along the cutting edge. 'Magnificent, as if forged by the gods themselves.' With this, he returned the sword to its hilt behind me and heaved a heavy sigh. 'It is with great regret that I leave you when I'm just starting to know you, you…' he stopped with confusion evident on his face. 'I apologise, madam. I seem to have forgotten your name.'

            'Um… Cassandra. Cassandra Alexandra,' I said as I stood up, holding back a nosebleed.

            'Uncanny,' he said as he bent down to reach for my hand. Of course, I didn't resist when he took it. 'Alexandra, like this place, Alexandria. Our meeting was not by coincidence, but providence, my lovely Cassandra,' he cooed as his lips touched my hands. 'My name is Raphael Sorel, and I believe that fate will bring our paths together again.' He lowered my hand before bowing to me a final time then turning around, leaving me speechless at the bar. 

             Night broke later than I hoped, my aching back demanding rest. I remembered Sorel telling me something about this part of the port. This place was supposed to be riddled with hotels for foreigners. They all seemed the same to me, so I headed for the nearest hotel, but not before feeling something odd. I shot a look over my shoulder, only to see a shadow to disappear in the darkness. I must be more tired than I thought. Shrugging the thought aside, I pushed the door to the closest building.

            This couldn't be right, I thought, as I brushed against a woman at the entry. This had to be a brothel. She barely wore anything at all. The skimpy outfit revealed more than it conceal and revealed everything but her most intimate regions, and what proportions. I must've been staring at them because when I looked up, I met her angered gaze.

            'What do you want?' she demanded. She produced a hilt of a sword from her outfit, but strangely it bore no blade. 'Hasn't your mommy ever told you not to stare?' Suddenly, as if by magic, shards of light flew through the air from the counter, forming a blade around the hilt. The tip was then raised to my eye. This was definitely not my day.

            'I'm sorry, ma'am, I thought this was a hotel…' I staggered, my hands still quivering. 

            That sorry explanation somehow convinced her to lower her sword… magic thing… whatever it is she pointed at me, then flashed a wicked grin. 'My dear girl, this is a hotel.'

            Without a doubt, today was the worst day of my life. I had been nearly robbed, threatened twice, and worst of all, I still had no leads as to where Soul Edge was. How Sophitia ever tracked it down and destroyed it was truly the work of the gods. But that had to wait. Falling upon the delicate sheets of my bed, my skin felt brushed softly against the satin covers with a sensual touch, allowing my troubles to melt away in the night air. This was what the Elysian Fields must be like. A knock rapped against my door, shattering the silence and my blissful rest. 'Who is it?' I grumbled. This was answered by a louder more insistent thumping at my chamber door. Reluctantly, I got up from my bed, grabbed my sword and marched towards the door opening it. There was nobody there. A prank? Do people in this hotel derive pleasure by depriving others of it? I swore to the gods to pay back those pranksters if I ever catch them. Wit malice still in my mind, I closed the door.

            Without warning, the light of my candle blew out of existence, sending a cold chill to shoot up my throat, only it wasn't the wind. The sharp edge of a blade bit deeply into my neck, threatening to break the skin with any further pressure. For the third time today, my life was threatened. 'What do you want?' I whined, fingering the hilt of my sword. I prayed for one moment of hesitation, that was all I need to turn the tide. I didn't get it.

            'Who did you steal that from?' a woman's voice answered through the dark.

            'I didn't steal anyth-' finding the blade cut through my skin, I stopped immediately, my sword falling from my grip.

            'You lie!' she insisted bitterly. 'I know who owned this sword and shield, and it certainly isn't you, antique dealer.'

            'Alright, alright, I don't own either,' I conceded with a blade against my neck. 'I stole them from my sister.'

            'You lie again!' she screamed, yet she didn't cut my throat off. 'What is her name?'

            I struggled against the duress. 'Alexandra… Sophitia Alexandra. I'm her younger sister, Cassandra Alexandra.' All of a sudden, I fell on my knees on the cold wooden floor, wheezing and rubbing my free neck. I turned to the shadow that held me in the corner, but the silhouette was indistinguishable. 'How do you know about the sword and the shield?'

            A moment of silence passed before she could answer in an anxious tone. 'She destroyed Soul Edge, and I helped saved her life… what is she doing sending out an amateur to battle against evil in her stead?'

            I grit my teeth. How dare she call me an amateur!? It took everything I had to restrain myself and focus on her question. 'She's doesn't know anything. I said I stole the weapons. I have to do this for her.'

            She scoffed mockingly. 'Why? Why would you do this?'

            'She has a family of her own to take care of, and if you were a mother, you'd know that it is in itself a battle of its own.' She didn't answer for a long while, so I pressed on with my reasoning. 'The gods are cruel to send her thrice. Her old wounds burn every time she gets near one of those shards, how can you expect her to fight?'

            'You are not ready,' the shadow repeated. 'Just stay out of my way, I'll destroy Soul Edge on my own.' 

With this she began to move towards the open window, but I quickly got up and blocked her path. 'I just can't stand and do nothing!' A glint of moonlight lit her saddened face. It was as I remembered a long time ago, reflecting the same pain.

'Fine,' she gave up, heaving a sigh. 'Meet me at the temple ruins by midday. A holder of a shard lies there. You will just observe me fighting, you will not interfere, otherwise I'll have to take you home and bury you. Is that understood?'

The next morning began with a promising aura. I knew where I had to go, the only problem to that is how do I get there? The temple ruins were two day's walk away, I had to be there in half. I needed a horse, only I didn't know how to ride, or to ask anyone for help. Looking around the local stables, I began to lose hope. 'Is anyone heading to Giza?' I asked. There was nothing to lose by asking, and as fortune would have it, there was someone who heard.

She was young, probably younger than me. She wore a blue dress that flowed like water, and sat atop a horse as large as any I've ever seen. She approached me with a huge smile across her face. 'Yeah! I'm headed for Rome, I could drop you on the way.' She said, extending me a hand. 

I grabbed it and pulled myself up. 'Thank you,' I told her. 

'So what are you doing at Giza?' she asked, whipping her horse to motion. 

I held tight against the horse's mane as it began to gallop across the streets, taking massive strides. 'I'm meeting an old friend of mine.'

'Me too!' she said, holding tightly to the bridle. 'We haven't met in seven years.'

'So what's your name?' I asked with the wind in my face.

'You can call me Chai… Chai Xianhua.'

'My name is Cassandra,' I paused, slow to realise something. 'How come you know how to speak Greek?' 

'I've been there before, seven years ago in fact.' 

'What for?'

This seemed to upset her. 'I was looking for something, but it seems that I failed…'

            Riding a horse for half an hour was like riding a boat for four days. If there were a god amongst horses, I would curse him until the day that I die. My butt ached long after I waved the rider goodbye, and was deep within the catacombs. This place gave me the creeps. The ghosts of its keepers my have stayed long after their corporeal forms rotted with time. But there was someone else, I could swear I heard the distinct sound of metal clashing against each other. My heart began to race as I ran towards the sound.

            What I saw next would be burned into my consciousness for eternity. I stopped deep within the catacombs where a pit surrounded an arena. There, two warriors clashed fiercely. One was the strange woman I saw last night. Seeing her blaze with the light of day was a humbling sight, I was glad that I didn't fight her last night. I would have died. However I wasn't sure she was going to survive against her opponent. The second warrior was neither man nor woman: a beast ablaze with flame with an ominous eye dwelling where one's stomach should be. It moved like Taki, bore the same weapons.

            Both warriors moved with amazing speed. The warrior girl, the one named Taki began to circle the creature as if stalking it. This didn't work as the beast drove its foot deep within her stomach, winding her. I couldn't watch, she was sure to die with the next stroke. I should have had more faith. As the beast waved blade across, aiming at her chest, but only found empty air. Taki had jumped above the blade her feet striking the beasts head. It crumpled to the floor like a sack of flour. She moved in for the final blow.

            Lightning coursed through her body as she crept up to the monster before she reached behind her, grabbing both blades. 'Evil…' she began with low voice. 'BEGONE!' Her swords were covered in flames, tearing through the thick hide of the beast, crumpling lifelessly onto the floor. It didn't move. Casually, she bent over the cadaver and reached within the incision. I cringed for her. Her hand stayed within the beast for another second before taking out a familiar shard that glowed a brooding evil. It was a shard of that loathsome Soul Edge.

            'That's fantastic!' I screamed to her. She shot a look of caution in my direction. 'You're awesome!'

            'And you're late,' she added to my disdain. My face flushed immediately with embarrassment. 

She began to walk towards the pit. I screamed in shock. 'No! Watch out!' I should have trusted her more.

            With a leap that shamed our greatest athletes, Taki jumped right over the pit, landing a few centimetres in front of me. 'These were one of the easier fighters; you cannot fight against other more powerful warriors. Your sister dealt with them easily, you on the other hand couldn't even handle a simple thief.'

            'You were at the pier?' I gasped!

            'That man you were talking to was charming, but he too will die, as will you if you carry on. Your sister couldn't go on the quest, neither could you, so I'll destroy the blade myself.'

            'But surely…'

            'No. End of discussion. You will leave on the next ship sailing for Athens.' She grit her teeth angrily before turning around. 'Pitiful.' With a nod of her head, she raised a fist into the air and slammed it into the ground. A puff of smoke and she was gone, leaving me alone with the corpse of the monster. I sighed with disappointment and began my long trek to Alexandria, when I heard something. A loud crash behind me. I quickly turned around. The cadaver was gone. My heart began to race in my chest. Shards of flaming metal flew across the antechamber and in the lead was a large ominous eye, flying in my direction. I quickly rolled to my sidee, narrowly dodging the spiralling wraith. It stopped a few meters away, giving me time to draw my shield and sword from my back and readied myself in a fighting pose. The thing began to spin, then exploded with light, blinding me for a second. By the time I saw it, my jaw dropped.

            It was standing in the same pose at me, more surprising though, were the weapons it bore, exactly the same as mine. What is this thing? I only knew one thing, it was going to kill me. My eyes narrowed as I moved in to make the first strike. 

            'Watch out!' I screamed as I charged in slashing my sword through the air, aimed directly at the monster's head. I should have known better. I would have stood aside and watch me hurtle to open space. It did just that. My head turned to track the beast as I rushed by, my sword finding only empty air. I promptly ducked, missing the blade by an inch, cutting a few strands of my hair. This wasn't good at all. It knew everything I knew, this was both its strength and its weakness. Nobody knows my strengths and weaknesses better than me, or did I? I decided to wait for it to make the next move. This was my second mistake.

            It ran with blinding speed to me, just as I did. Was it going to do the same thing as me? I decided that it was and raised my sword to strike it in it's weak spot. It didn't however. Instead it ducked beneath my sword and slashed across my body. I reeled back, clutching the slash across my left arm. Crimson trailed across my white gauntlets, finding its way to my shield. My teeth grit. Taki was right, I was going to die, but if I were, I'll be damned if I died without a fight.

            Again the beast rushed towards me, but I stepped aside and watched as it's blade narrowly missed my legs. I had no time to celebrate; ducking beneath another blow, then raised my shield to block another. It followed with a flurry of slashes and stabs, all missing me. What is happening? What's going on? It's almost as if it wasn't me fighting. My blade came up to clash with the doppelganger's then I thrust my shield, slamming it into his face. It crashed to the floor a few metres away. I was winning.

            I raised the sword effortlessly, it raised its shield accordingly, only my blade didn't slam into it, instead stabbing into its foot. Again it crashed into the floor, both of us confused at my sudden dexterity. That moment quickly passed as it rose with its wound healing before my eyes. This couldn't be good. I quickly regained composure, closing in for the kill. I stepped in, raising my sword. This time it ducked to block an earlier similar attack, only to find the edge of my shield in its face. It rose quickly as if nothing happened. This was getting worse with each successive blow. I had to end this, and soon.

            Only turn your back on a corpse, I remembered my teacher saying. I was hoping it knew that. I waited as it approached me, waiting for the right moment. It came sooner than I thought. Immediately I turned around, turning as if dancing. Behind me, it began to thrust its sword, hoping to find my heart. Unfortunate for it, its sword found my shield instead as I deflected it, completing my turn by stabbing it deeply within its belly, right into the evil eye. The flame immediately died, the sword and shield fell lifelessly on the floor. I won. My first kill lay limply on the sand, and I hope for the final time, yet my blade glowed. It had something to do with Soul Edge. I was slow to realize it. It armoured hide was made of shard from Soul Edge. This couldn't be good. Even dead it caused me problems. The rare ore began to shrink, the eye melting onto the floor, leaving six crimson shards lying on the floor. Slowly I bent down and gathered them in my hands, these loathsome shards which I swore to destroy. What was I supposed to do? How was supposed to destroy it? All answers I desperately needed, all of which I had to wait for.

I suddenly felt faint, my arm was still bleeding. A metallic clatter sounded as my sword and shield fell to the floor as I clutched it. The monster's blade was coated with poison. My vision blurred, my mind went blank. I faltered to my knees with barely enough strength to fight the darkness. Another moment and I was breathing dirt. This couldn't be the way die. With the last of my strength, I turned to the clear sky, and cursed the gods a final time. 'Why have you forsaken me?' It was then the darkness took hold.

'You have turned against us, yet we turn not from you. We have been with you and will always be by your side. Our blessing will flow through you and your family for the love you have shown to them is boundless, as our love for you is boundless. Take your sister's sword and cut through the darkness. We will be there when you find the light.'

'Who are you?' I whispered beneath my breath. A surge of pain shot through my arm. Pain can only be felt by the living… my eyes shot open, finding a familiar face staring back at me. Another jolt surged through my arm, forcing me to bite my lip. I felt her hand fall upon my shoulders, urging me to lay back on the bed.

'I shouldn't have let you fight Charade,' she said as I returned to my initial position. A smile crept up to her features. 'How do you do it?'

Struggling with the sting in my arm, I crack an eye open to see the woman's raised eyebrow. 'I don't know…'

'These gods of yours are truly fascinating… sending the weak to strike at the strong.'

'Who are you calling weak?' I hissed through my teeth. 'I spent three years training at the Athenian Academy…'

'You spent your life baking bread,' she countered. 'Which makes things all the more confusing.' That made two of us, though I kept it to myself. She was right; there was no way I could fight like that. Which begs a final question: how did I fight like that. An eerie sense overcame me, one that told me that I already knew the answer to that question, that the gods were guiding me.

To be continued…

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Author's notes: I recently bought SCII and think it kicks ass! I felt sorry for Cassandra upon reading her stuff, hence this fan-fiction. If there are any Charade fans out there, I apologise.

I only got the game a few days ago. Before that I bludged off my friend's house! Still I don't know much, like how many pieces of Soul Edge Charade consists of, so I took a guess and said seven. Anyone who has read my other fic should know I love the number seven.

Anyway, I hope the characters aren't too OOC.

CW


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: Soul Calibur 2 is the intellectual property of NAMCO, all rights reserved. Distribution of concepts, artwork and any other form of multimedia, without the permission of the appropriate bodies, is strictly forbidden. I, Crimson Wraith, am not the creator of Soul Calibur 2. No such permission has been acquired from NAMCO, and as such, am liable for copyright infringements. This fan fiction will be removed upon request of appropriate bodies.

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Cry of a Valkyrie

Chapter 2: Enter the Serpent's Lair

            What is a miracle? I'm not so sure what it is, but I know one when I see it. Pealing back the gauze from my arm where a deep gash in my flesh came to existence only yesterday, it now revealed with the morning light only fair untouched skin. This was nothing short of a miracle. Silently, I thanked Athena for guarding my life and Hepheastus for giving me the strength to recover from my injuries, as it certainly would be inconvenient for the gods to find another champion for their conquest. A new surge of energy flowed through my body as the sun rose with a faint amber light in the east. The quest for Soul Edge was only beginning. I turned to my shoulder to find Taki still staring out the window, curiously clutching a pouch in her hands. I understood her faithful vigil, knowing that what was at stake was not our lives, but our immortal souls. I made a noise as I rose from my bed, she shifted an eye in my direction.

            'I see that you are feeling better this morning. That is good for you.' She turned again outside, saying nothing else. 

            Breakfast was served, and about time too! I turned to the side of my bed to find a tray of food, but only enough for one. Sure I was really hungry, but I wondered if my companion would like to share breakfast with me. 'Hey Taki! Have you had something to eat already?' I asked her as I reached for the bread. She remained silent, shaking her head. 'Would you like some?' I offered her the roll. She didn't turn my way. 

            'It's dawn,' she observed, looking out the window. 'We better leave soon.'

            Already tearing through the roll, I turned to her with a raised eyebrow. 'But why?' I swore her eyes fell on the streets below as she heard me. For that, I felt guilty myself.

            'I have sensed a brooding evil dwelling here. My senses tell me that they are after us.' She threw the pouch at me. I quickly dropped a slice of steak to catch it. It was the pouch holding the seven shards of Soul Edge we took from the creature yesterday. Taki told me the night before that she had cast a strong spell to bind its power. I asked her why, but she didn't tell me. Yet looking at it, I couldn't help but feel the same brooding Taki felt. I could have sworn it glowed every time I placed my sword near it. 

I quickly raised my head, turning to the… Ninja, I think that's what she called herself, just in time to see her nod off. Even she was just human. 'Hey Taki! Did you get any sleep at all last night?' Again there was no answer, as if she hadn't heard. 'I said did you-'

'I heard you the first time, Cassandra. I'm not deaf!' Her eye shifted towards me. 'We of the Fuma ninja clan are people of the night. I can do without sleep…' she paused heaving a deep sigh. 'It's time to leave, Cassandra.'

She was right. The morning sun has already risen above the rooftops to filter through her shadow. 'I'll go pay at the front, just stay here and eat something.' She turned to me angrily, but I didn't look away from her frigid glaze. 'Or can your people go without food too?' I stood up and pocketed the pouch, ignoring the death glare of the woman of the night. With loud footsteps, she traced me as I walked towards the door and disappeared behind it. 'I'll see you at the front! Jus-'

            As I closed the door behind me, my gaze was still fixed on it walking backwards. Sophitia often describes me as having my mind in the Olympus, she may be right. While it dwelled upon Olympus, thinking about my quest for the gods, I forgot that I was on earth, dwelling with other mortals. How else could I have walked right into a man standing in the middle of the hallway? Both of us fell to the floor with a large crash, lying still in a tangled mess. Everybody must have heard the crash because when I finally looked up, every door was opened, filled with vacant expressions all staring at me… 'Get a room!' one of them screamed in disgust. No they weren't looking at me, they were looking at us! 

The young boy groaned beneath me. As I looked down, I found my elbow jabbing into his ribs. I shot up my face blushing with embarrassment. 'I'm so sorry! I didn't see you!' Extending a hand to him, I waited anxiously for him to accept my help. 

Thankfully, he took it and pulled himself up and shot me a smile, all to my surprise. 'Jeez lady! What have you been eating! You weigh a ton!'

Alright, I did crash into him, I did stab his ribs with my elbow, but did he have to say that? Any girl can tell you that weight is nothing to poke fun at, this holds true for me. I kept a straight face, but inside I felt like drawing my sword and cut him a new one. 'Are you alright,' I managed though my teeth.

'Yeah I'm fine,' he said, dusting himself off. 'You really should watch where you are going.'

'I'm sorry alright,' I snapped back. I thought of walking away before things got ugly… I should've done that earlier. Suddenly I felt a hand fall upon my shoulder. Drawing my sword from my sheath, I thrust it up to his neck, the tip barely touching his skin. 'What do you want? A song and dance?'

He waved his hand in front of me, probably telling me that he meant no harm. I didn't lower the blade. Suddenly he reached for something behind him, a sword. With a swift arc, he knocked my sword from his throat. 'Are all girl's in Egypt like this?' He maintained a casual stance, lowering his sword to his side. I followed suit and lowered my guard. 'The woman downstairs was like this too.'

The image of a scantily clad dominatrix came to mind. 'I already said I was sorry, okay. I have more important things to do than stand here and talk about this!'

'I was just wondering if I brought enough protection.' I turned to his blade. It was beautiful. Shaped like nothing I've seen before, the blade gleamed though the poor lighting of hallway. I saw something else. I could have sworn I saw Sophitia's face in the blade, but shook the thought from my mind. He then returned it to a sheath behind him. 'It's nice to talk to someone who understands me though?'

'I don't understand you at all,' I grumbled. This only seemed to make his smile widen.

'You speak Korean well enough.'

What in Hades was he talking about? 'I've had enough of you stupid jokes-' 

'My name's Yunsung,' he said stepping aside. I was about to pass when another, louder more desperate crash sounded behind me. It came from my room. My eyes suddenly widened at the thought of a single name: Taki. She was still in my room. I quickly turned around and bolted in the other direction, kicking down the door. The room was completely destroyed, the wall suffering a gaping hole. 'What's going on?' a voice behind me asked. It was Yun.

'Taki!' I screamed through the debris. 'Taki!'

'Cassandra!' I heard. The voice came from outside the hole. I ran to the edge and peered to the empty streets below. A crowd had formed a ring around two fighters. Taki was at one end, suffering several cuts to her arms and legs. The other was that strange woman, her cleavage all but bearing for all to see. They were both in a fighting stance. I was late again.

'I'm not here to play games! Give me the shards and you shall live. Fail to do so and you shall die a slow and agonizing death!' she declared. Her blade snaked around her like a living whip. I turned to Taki: the determined look on her face told me she wasn't going to give up those loathsome shards. She was going to fight to her dying breath, but as things seemed at the moment, that's what was she was going to do. She was going to die, but I couldn't let that happen. 

My sword slithered as I drew it from my back and gripped my shield in my other hand before I jumped onto the street. The crowd gasped as they saw a third fighter enter the arena, then a fourth. I turned around to find Yunsung behind me, his sword drawn and ready to strike. 'If this is what Egyptian girls are like, then I think I'm going to like it here,' he said smugly. 

'Little girl and little boy, get out of my way before I spank both of you. Haven't your mummies ever told you that not to play with knives?' She moved her sword, or did the sword move on its own? The blade suddenly extended and began to snake around her.

A voice behind me broke my trance. 'Hey Cassandra and kid, both of you get over here.'

'But,' Yun whined, 'three against one is so unfair.'

'NOW!' Taki screamed. 

I slowly moved towards her, keeping an eye on the sorceress behind me. 'We can take her,' I told Taki. 

'Not without killing everyone else around us.' I turned around. She was right. All these bystanders would get hurt if we fought now. But where did that leave us? 'Get behind me, both of you, now!' Both me and Yun obeyed. Taki raised her head to the sorceress. 'You shall die another day.' She raised her fist high into then slammed it into the ground. A moment later, the sorceress was gone, along with the crowd and the whole city.

'Where are we? Yun whined, walking over yet another sand dune. Endless sand stretched as far as the eye could see and the blazing sun was burning my fair skin. Taki wasn't doing well either, bleeding through the countless cuts along her body. At least now she was silent as I carried her over my shoulders. Yun seemed to be coping with the heat better than both of us. 'Do you know where we are?'

'No,' I screamed back over the weight of the cataleptic warrior on my shoulders. I thought this was a man's job. The world was indeed changing. 

'Hey! I see something!' he cried to me. 'Its not much, but I guess it'll have to do.' 

I followed his gaze to see the commotion. Indeed it wasn't much. Not far in the distance was a stone doorway, or was it? It didn't matter. It provided shade, and under this sun, that was all that mattered. 'Hey Yun! Help me with Taki!' 

If Helios could hear me, I would have cursed him, but only my friend mattered now. She was still unconscious, but at least she was doing better in the shade. Her breathing was deeper now, and allowed me to tend to her wounds. Yun shot a fascinated look towards me as I cut a bit of my skirt to bandage the woman's cut, revealing more flesh than I would have otherwise liked. 'Nice legs Cass.'

'Shut up Yun! If you're not going to help, then don't bother me. Go do something!'

'Like what?'

I turned to him angrily. 'Like anything! You're not a child anymore, Yun.' I knew I shouldn't have yelled. The heat must have gotten to me. My words must have struck a chord because he turned away with a disgusted expression as he walked down the hallway towards the darkness. In a way I felt guilty, screaming at the guy like that, but I had to. Taki needed me. I turned to her and found her smiling weakly.

'I'm glad to see you!' she gasped. 

'What happened to you,' I asked as I tightened the bandage around her. She winced painfully as did I. 

'Shards of light burst through the room shortly after you left. Her sword, it's enchanted.' She stopped reeling in pain as I wrapped a cloth around another wound. 'Easy on the bandages, Cassandra.' 

'I'm sorry Taki,' I apologised, falling down on my rear. 'I'm not sure how to do this. I'm really useless, aren't I? I shouldn't even be here. I should be baking…'

'You are baking... in the Sahara sun!' she joked. For that, I tightened another bandage around another wound. Needless to say, she was silenced. 'So what do you about that guy?'

'Who Yun? That's because he couldn't shut up!' There, the final bandage was placed across her arm, but my skirt was torn to shreds. Yun would die if he saw me like this. 'That chauvanist pig is so full of himself.'

'Remind you of anyone?' asked Taki. I wish she had more cuts, and with it, I wish I had more clothes to turn to bandages. 'I barely understand Korean, but it seems you speak it fluently.' 

'He spoke Greek!' I insisted. 

Taki shook her head. 'No you weren't! You spoke Korean!'

'I think the sun's getting to you too. If you haven't realised, I've never been out of the country until five days ago, I didn't do much besides train and bake, so there's no way in Hades I could possibly I could possibly speak another lang-'

'HEY!' Yun's voice screamed through the darkness. Both Taki and I turned around to find Yun scrambling towards us. 'Hey Cass! You should check this out!' he paised suddenly to take a long gaze upon my legs. 'Have I told you that you've got some nice legs?'

'This is impossible!' I gasped, tracing my hand along the art on the wall. The whole wall was covered in them, the whole catacomb was dedicated to it: the sealing of Soul Edge! I looked at one hieroglyph, depicting a woman devoured by the evil blade. How long had this evil blade been consuming souls? It was older than this ancient civilization, certainly older than mine. Some say it was born with the beginning of the world, others say at the beginning of time itself. One thing was for certain: it had plagued humanity for as long as there were souls to devour. I turned to my back, finding a puzzled Yun staring at the wall. 'This is horrible.'

            In the middle of the room was a platform surrounded by a deep pit similar to the ruins I fought Charade on. The torches surrounding the room burned eternally, revealing the horrifying chronicle for all to see. Maybe this was a warning to those who sought the blade. 'Taki would've loved to see this…'

            'Indeed she does!' Both Yun and I quickly turned to face the icy voice. The woman was there, holding a blade across Taki's neck. 'She's not holding the shards, she's no use to me.' A shrill cry escaped the ninja as the blade dug into her neck.

            'No!' I screamed. 'Leave her alone.' I dug into my pocket and produced a familiar pouch. 'Fight me…' I drew my sword and pointed it to the platform in the centre, '…. in there, beat me and the shards are yours.'

            I could almost see her licking her lips at the opportunity. 'Have it your way…' she dropped Taki on the floor and moved towards me. 'It doesn't matter where I kill you, where you stand or over there. One thing stands: your soul will stay in this mausoleum… forever.'

            Granted, this was definitely not the smartest thing I've done, but I couldn't let Taki die: she saved my sister and me. I owed her my life. Yun walked over to me as I placed the pouch full of shards in his hands. 'Hold this until she comes back for it.'

            'Wow,' he gawked, 'you don't sound too positive.' 

He was right, I wasn't confident at all. After what she did to Taki, I began to imagine what that sword of hers could do to me. I looked over in her direction again. 'No matter what happens to me, please take care of Taki.'

'You mean the Japanese girl?'

I nodded. 'Well, here I go.' Looking into his deep brown eyes almost convinced me to forfeit the shards to her, but something within me to keep fighting. With a heavy heart, I drew my sword and walked away towards the woman on the far side of the room. She looked formidable, and with her enchanted sword, my hopes pf victory seemed falter. This was definitely not a good idea.

'Little girl,' she called to me in a mocking voice. I scorned her for that. 'What is your name?'

'Cassandra,' I hissed back. 'And you are?'

'You can call me Ivy.' She flashed me an evil smile before she drew her sword. 'EXTEND!' she screamed. Suddenly the blade shot forward, arching to the edge of the makeshift arena, imbedding itself on rock. 'After you, dear Cassandra.' I nodded nervously. If going into the arena was hard, I could only imagine how difficult the fight would have been. Don't look down, don't look I down, I repeated this over and over as I slowly made my way across the bridge of blades. I should have listened to myself. I did look down. 

The darkness was unending, as was the pit in the ruins. Falling down would mean certain death. Why did the creators of this mausoleum create such a void to surround the platform in the middle? Were people meant to be kept out, or were they trying to keep something from escaping? Whatever the reason was had to wait as I found a foot onto solid rock. With that out of the way, only thing left was for me to fight her.

'My my, how delightfully athletic you are,' she commented, raising the hilt to the air. The bridge suddenly glowed white as it broke into a dozen pieces and flew through the air like shards of light, forming a pillar upon the hilt. I gulped, nervously clenching my sword. 'Too bad you will die with your gifts unrealised.'

What I did next was one of my better ideas. Indeed anyone in such a hopeless situation would have done what I did: pray. I raised my eyes to the ceiling as if looking to the sky. 'Gods!' I cried loudly, 'Show me your light.'

'Your heathen gods do not hear you,' she scoffed. 

I turned to her bitterly. Had she said that five days ago, I would have bought her a tankard of ale at the local tavern, but I had seen something I shouldn't have: the power of the gods. Fixing my shield in my left hand and gripping my sword in my right, I nodded to her. 'I'll do the best that I can.'

She nodded likewise. 'Too bad it's not good enough,' she said and took her stance. It was awkward, standing with her blade pointed downwards, standing as if she were posing for a painting. This exposed everything from her stomach to her head. Maybe I can win this after all. I raised my sword and shield with renewed vigour. The gods were with me.

I should have known why she took that stance; she wasn't expecting me to get close to her. As soon as I took a step forward, she drew her sword back and thrusted it forward. 'EXTEND!' she screamed. The blade obeyed, darting through the air, aimed straight at me. Quickly stepping aside saved my life, but only barely. I could have sworn I felt the wind of the blade as it screamed past. From a distance, I watched as she swung the hilt in my direction, causing the enchanted blade to veer towards me, clashing against my shield as it returned to its origin. How do I fight her if I can't even get close? 'Come little girl and meet your doom,' she snapped her sword like a whip, cracking it in the air twice before enveloping herself with it. 'I can kill you where you stand, or I can kill you up close. Where I kill you doesn't matter. It doesn't matter me at all.' She then directed a finger at me. 'Over there!' she commanded her blade. Again the tip leaped from the hilt, this time arcing through the air. As I looked upon the curving tip, something clicked. I didn't know why, but I began to run forward, as if to greet the blade. I didn't, it passed well over my head leaving a trail of bending metal with her guard left completely open. 

I charged towards her with my sword held high, not caring for the tip reeling back to its hilt. It got there well before I did, to my great surprise, and soon, to my regret. A few meters more and I would have slain her, a few meters more and I would have won the battle, but I didn't have those few meters, and she knew this. I stopped a short distance away with my shield covering my face, it wouldn't take long for the blade to travel now that I have found my way to it, but what else could she do? Her eyes gleamed, no doubt with another attempt to kill me at a distance. I looked puzzled as she drove her sword into the ground, burying the blade completely. What was she trying to do by this? Suddenly the tip burst from the cold tiles half a meter from me. It was too late to do anything. The cold blade pierced through my left shoulder before returning beneath the ground, travelling back to its master. I fell to the ground, desperately suppressing an agonized cry. A crimson flow spurt through the puncture, staining the ground before me. I looked to her, finding her tongue licking the crimson that streaked across her sword. Where were the gods now?

As I stood up, pain surged through my arm, unable to raise the shield. I was completely defenceless against the next attack, and as I looked across to Ivy, I knew that she knew it too. 'You have outlasted my expectations, Cassandra, and I congratulate you on that. However, I'm not here to play games. Give me the shards and I'll spare your life.'

'Never!' I screamed defiantly. Against all rational thought, I began to charge towards her in a final desperate bid for victory. At the time, I must have reasoned that if I can't defend, then attack was the only option. Surrender certainly wasn't. Her eyes gleamed an ominous red as she pointed the sword at me, suddenly breaking into a dozen pieces and speeding through the air. Twelve shards of light streaked through the air, all aimed at me. What happened next was has to explain. They left a small gap on the floor. A few inches less and they would have pierced through my skull and ended my life there, but I had those few inches, sliding beneath the swarm of shards and right in front of Ivy. Her mouth gaped open as I plunged my sword into her heart, climbed on it then jumped away. A surge of pain overcame my senses, disorienting me in the air. I should have landed on her shoulders, crushing them beneath my heel. Instead, my arm heaved with pain and I fell flatly upon the floor behind her. I painfully turned on the ground to face her, finding not only my sword in her chest, but also a dozen shards of light protruding through her torso.

'This can't be,' she cried in disbelief before falling onto the floor, never to rise again. Only I stood up, walking over her and drawing my blood-drenched sword from her chest. It was only then that the thought dawned on me: I won. But it didn't feel like victory. The hallowed feeling within my soul was sobering, that though I had to kill her, taking a life was still taking a life. I was a murderer. I looked at the blood that covered my hands; Ivy's blood mingling with my own, all spilled for that loathsome weapon known as Soul Edge. There was something else protruding from her, a note from her pocket. I reached over and found out that it was a diary. I opened its pages and turned to the last entry. 

_Dear Diary,_

_I have tracked Soul Edge to the Egyptian Harbour Alexandria. The creature known as Charade was slain before I found it, taking with it the shards I needed to destroy. I mustn't let anyone else fall prey to its power, as my father has._

I reeled back as I read this. She was going to destroy Soul Edge? Why didn't she tell us? We were on the same side. Tears began to fall upon the letter; I had better finish reading it before my tears soak the letter completely. 

I have tracked the mercenaries who slew Charade to my very own inn. I will have to take it before it bestows upon them untold power and evil. That young girl I found staring at my extremities couldn't be the one who defeated Charade, someone else must be helping her. 

            _Never the less, I must turn to Athens once I retrieve the shards. I have learned the dark knight Nightmare has foreshadowed upon it borders, seeking vengeance upon the one who destroyed its other half. It must be stopped. _

_            I have to leave now, the girl has left her room, probably leaving her companion alone in the room. She has crashed into a young man of Asian decent, giving me more time to take the shards as they converse. They look like such a nice pair._

_Isabella Valentine._

'Come now, Cassandra, it's over.' I heard Taki say behind me. I turned around to see Taki held by Yunsung. 'It's time to go.' Yunsung reached over to carry my arm over his shoulder, and turned to a bridge of wooden planks behind them. 

I dropped to my knees, wiping my tear covered face with my arm. 'She's like us… trying to destroy Soul Edge.' 

Feeling a hand fall upon my right shoulder, I turned to find Yun looking down at me. 'We should get out of here.' He offered a hand. I accepted.

Outside, the night sky was clear, blanketed with a magnificent mantle of stars shimmering in the void. The moon was unusually bright this evening, glowing a calm yet radiant light. Selene must be watching over me as she rode across the night sky, yet even this spectacle couldn't remove the sorrow shadowing my soul. I looked at my gauntlet. It was still stained with the blood of Ivy. The wrenching guilt building up in my stomach threatened to overwhelm me, until a hand quickly snapped me out of my self-loathing.

It was Yunsung. 'Cassandra, you don't look so good.' I shook it off my shoulder and stepped out of the crypt. He followed closely behind me, carrying the weary Taki on his side. The desert sands weren't so bad in the night. A cool wind blew softly towards us, carrying with it sand. It blew into my wound, sending pain to surge through my arm. I grit my teeth to stifle an agonized scream. Yun saw this from behind me. 'You're hurt Cassandra. Alexandria's not so far away. I can carry both you and… Taki here.'

He was nice, but I shook my head. 'I thought you said I weighed a tonne!' I reminded him. Certainly it was dark, but I could see him blushing in the shadows. 'It's alright Yunsung. I'll be alright.' A long awkward silence followed this, all three of us unable to say anything: Taki, naturally because she was unconscious, though her bleeding had stopped. I wasn't sure what the young man had in mind. He has only been with us for a very short time, yet he was willing to place himself in danger, for us… for me. 'Hey Yun!'

'Yeah?' he shot back, trying to hide the awkwardness in his voice. 'What is it?'

'Thanks for helping us out.'

'No problem!' He bowed a little, well as far as one can bow whilst carrying someone on their shoulders. 

I smiled back at the gesture, paining me to ask him my next question. 'Why are you helping us?'

His expression immediately changed, darkening a shade or two. The warm smile on his face was now gone, leaving a vacant expression staring back at me. 'I'm looking for the Sword of Salvation. I heard that it was here a month ago, but I'm not quite so sure now.'

The Sword of Salvation. It certainly didn't sound anything like Soul Edge. The evil sword can only bring destruction. He sought hope. 'What do you need it for.'

Yunsung's gaze seemed distant, staring into the heavens as if searching for an answer. His voice was soft, but radiated confidence as he answered me. 'I will protect my country…' 

He was patriot, I concluded, not a puppet of gods like me. For a long time I stared at him with admiration in my eyes. 'I hope you find what you have come so far to find.' After that, I turned forward, eyeing the moon in the distance that hid lay amongst a bed of glittering stars. I couldn't help but feel watched by a dozen eyes staring from the heavens, though I felt safe with them doing so. The gods were watching over me as I continued my quest to find and destroy the devourer of souls: Soul Edge.

To be continued.

------------------------

Author's notes: Okay, no. Ivy's final move is not in the game but in introduction movie where she had it chase Taki around the arena. I just thought it would be nice if she can really do it in a fight.


End file.
